After a selection process involving several external human rights experts, Franciscans International has decided to appoint Budi Tjahjono as its new International Advocacy Director.
An Indonesian national, Budi has over two decades of experience in human rights advocacy both at the United Nations and at the grassroots. Budi’s engagement as a human rights advocate includes work for academic institutions, social movements, and non-governmental organizations on three continents. He holds a master’s degree in development studies from The Graduate Institute (Switzerland). Budi joined FI in 2011 and has coordinated its Asia-Pacific program until now, while also serving as Deputy Advocacy Director since 2017.
“I am convinced that Budi’s expertise in UN advocacy, his long work experience with FI, and the large networks and trust he has built with the Franciscan family, civil society organizations and UN stakeholders put him in an excellent position to lead and develop the work of out advocacy team in the coming years,” said Markus Heinze, Executive Director.
Budi will formally start in his new role on 1 October 2023. In the meantime, a transition period will allow him to fulfill his commitments to the Asia-Pacific program while FI opens a new recruitment process to find his replacement.